家累千金，坐不垂堂

jiālěiqiānjīn,zuòbùchuítáng

idiom

Meanings

1 a wealthy person doesn't sit beneath the eaves (where falling tiles could strike them)
2 the rich avoid needless danger
3 those with much to lose are cautious

Characters

Examples

古人说家累千金，坐不垂堂，富贵之人更应惜身。

Gǔrén shuō jiālěiqiānjīn, zuòbùchuítáng, fùguì zhī rén gèng yīng xī shēn.

The ancients said the wealthy don't sit beneath the eaves — those with means must guard their lives all the more.

他身价亿万，自然懂得家累千金，坐不垂堂的道理。

Tā shēnjià yìwàn, zìrán dǒngdé jiālěiqiānjīn, zuòbùchuítáng de dàolǐ.

Worth billions, he naturally understands the principle that the rich shouldn't court danger.

Tips

history

From 《汉书·司马相如传下》 (Hàn Shū, 'Book of Han', biography of Sima Xiangru): '故鄙谚曰：家累千金，坐不垂堂' — 'thus the proverb says: a household worth a thousand pieces of gold does not sit beneath the eaves.' 垂堂 (chuítáng) refers to the dripline of a roof — sitting there risked falling roof tiles, a real hazard in Han architecture.

Highly literary and rarely used in speech. You'll meet it in essays, historical fiction, and arguments about why elites shouldn't take physical risks (think: a CEO declining to skydive).

Stroke Order

家 jiā

累 lèi

千 qiān

金 jīn

坐 zuò

不 bù

垂 chuí

堂 táng